Mega events card to replace cancelled TAB Tattersalls Sprint race meeting at Rockhampton’s Callaghan Park

The abandonment of Friday’s Callaghan Park race meeting because of weather has brought about a mega 11 events race card.

Peacock races to victory in the feature race, the XXXX Gold Rockhampton Newmarket, at Callaghan Park yesterday.

The abandonment of Friday’s TAB Tattersalls Sprint race meeting at Rockhampton’s Callaghan Park racecourse has brought about a mega 11 events TAB race card there on Sunday.

Three races from Friday’s washout announced at 9.30am on Thursday when later Rockhampton Jockey Club CEO David Aldred said the grass track was “waterlogged” were added to the original eight race program set for Sunday.

This will be highlighted by the $35,000 TAB Tattersalls Gold Cup (1600m) which has drawn an impressive lineup of 16 milers.

Out to set a modern weight carrying winning record in the Tatts Cup will be Rocky’s racing’s colossus the Ricky Vale trained Namazu.

He has been handicapped with 70.5kg which in the imperial weight system equates to 11 stone and I lb.

Namazu will carry 10kg more than his nearest rival in the weights, the Jamie McConachy trained Alcyone which has 60.5kg.

To highlight the quality of the TAB Tatt’s Cup field the following stats confirm the race’s quality.

Between them the 16 acceptors have strung together 104 wins with Namazu top scoring through 13 successes including of course the $775 Rocky Amateurs The Archer (1300m) in April.

Naturally, Namazu heads the stakes race as well with $1,078,970 alongside his name.

Alcyone, new to the McConachy stable from Brisbane’s Kelly Schweida is next best with $424,520 to his name.

It promises to be an intriguing contest with the winner automatically qualifying for the $150,000 Rockhampton Cup (1600m) on July 13.

The time honoured $35,000 TAB Tatt’s Sprint (1200m) is the “support act” on Sunday when racing starts at 10.55am and concludes at 4.58pm.

Local trainers dominate here with six of the nine runners trained at Callaghan Park.

Top-weight under 61kg and jockey Ash Butler is the Mark Cochrane Callaghan Park trained Stampe.

Cleverly named being out of the mare Envelope, the now CQ owned Stampe was a “hottie” in his younger years when a Listed Race winner and GROUP Race placegetter.

The winner of $686,550 in stakes from eight wins, Stampe would only have to revive the form that he delivered when beating the 2023 Rocky Newmarket winner Roman Aureous at Eagle Farm last August to be hard to hold out in the Tatt’s Sprint.

Astute Callaghan Park mentor John O’Sing has given punters a strong lead by scratching Jungle Beat, the winner of its last three starts from the Tatt’s Sprint to concentrate on the Class 6 (1100m) at 1.24pm on Sunday.

Callaghan Park track manager Trent Williams said that providing no further rain fell leading up to and including Sunday, he was hopeful of a Soft 7 track rating for the important meeting.